Make a Photo Collage Gift

It doesn't require lots of Photoshop skills to make an art print, print on canvas, or a poster collage. Sites like Zazzle or Shutterfly make it easy for you.

I've provided some tips for making these and also some examples from my own family. Hopefully, these will inspire you to make a collage from your own family pictures or for a friend. Get started right away, so you'll have plenty of time to gather the pictures and make the collage.

1. Sign up on Zazzle.com for a free account.
2. Upload photos from your computer to Zazzle.
3. Select a project such as an art print or poster.
4. Place your photos on the template, resizing them to make room for multiple photos.
5. Rearrange the photos until you are happy with the layout
6. Order the finished collage. Allow several weeks for printing and shipping.

Most families have someone who keeps the family history and hunts for ancestors. They will be thrilled with someone takes an interest and asks for photos of the great-grandparents.

They will be even more thrilled when they open their Christmas or birthday gift and see the collage you created for them. They will want to hang it over their computer desk where they do their genealogy work and it will inspire them to keep hunting for more of those elusive ancestors.

I have a family member who has been in a nursing home for a number of years after being paralyzed by a stroke. I wanted to make a poster for his room that would be a collage of him and his cars.

The online photo sites make it really easy to put together. There are ones like Shutterfly or Zazzle to make your poster. This makes a good gift for their birthday or for Christmas.

I contacted the family, asking for pictures to supplement the ones I had. A side benefit of this poster project is you get more family photos digitized for sharing online. It gives them an incentive to get the photos out of the shoebox and to scan them.

The recipient of the poster will enjoy seeing a collage of their lives and it brightens up their room. An additional benefit is the staff views the person differently when they realize what their life was like.

The poster can be a talking point for visitors who sometimes flounder for topics to chat about. You have time to make one before Christmas or you could make it for a birthday or other occasion.

Everyone in the family will want a poster or print of this collection of pictures to remember their loved one after he has passed on. The pictures don't all have to be postcard perfect, but look for ones that truly represent the character and interests of the subject.